Disgusting tbh
Iâm sure the kids will live. They have a whole channel dedicated to them in ABCME and letâs not forget 10Peachâs 6am-12pm programming, ABC Kids and 9GO kids shows. Thereâs plenty for the kids. 7TWOâs kids programs are by far the worst of the bunch anyways.
Fair point, but its concerning that 9 and 10 may follow suit and the only kids option will be the ABC.
Oh well. Back when I was a kid all we had was ABC Kids from 3-6pm weekdays. They should count themselves lucky that they have so much choice now.
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7, 9 and 10 had childrenâs shows in the mornings and before that in the afternoons and mornings.
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Sure.
My point still stands. Even if all the networks cut their kids programming there is still plenty of choice around.
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Without quality childrenâs programming somewhere in the network lineup(s), where are the next generation of Seven, Nine and Ten viewers going to come from?
Most commercial TV viewers over the age of about 25 (you and I are probably among some of the last not to grow up with streaming) probably formed a habit of watching Seven, Nine & Ten because in the past, all three had some level of quality childrenâs programming on in half decent timeslots.
More recently, the treatment of childrenâs programming by the commercial networks has been nothing short of pathetic with shows generally being buried on second or third rate multichannels in timeslots that arenât accessable to the audience. Totally Wild used to be on Ten at 4pm, now itâs airing at 8am on 10 Peach - kids arenât likely to be able to watch the show in its entirety because many are probably heading off to school or sports practice on the weekend, etc.
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Exactly. Theyâre signing their own death warrants.
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They probably make them deliberately average and schedule them in the most inaccessible timeslot and hidden on a secondary channel, and then when the kids inevitably donât watch, they justify any removal by saying âwell nobodyâs watching these shows anywayâ.
No doubt Seven (and Nine and Ten) will continue to lobby for a complete removal of childrenâs quotas even once Covid has passed. They clearly donât care for making kids programming but the problem is that todayâs kids are tomorrowâs consumers and if they arenât being provided for by FTA now, why would they bother when theyâre older?
The ABC has shown that there is an export and franchise opportunity in childrenâs television. Itâs surprising that the commercial networks looking for revenue opportunities have not followed their lead.
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Itâs too late for that now anyway. I donât know any child that watches free to air let alone kids programming on free to air.
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i know my bfs nieces and nephews dont watch fta. its all netflix with the wiggles on or kids programs on netflix
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Exactly.
Commercial free to air TV might survive while many parents who themselves grew up on a diet of Seven, Nine and Ten are still watching, but surely itâs not in the industryâs interest to potentially have the next generation mainly tuning into only the ABC and/or SBS if theyâre still watching traditional TV at all?
A great recent example of that would have to be Bluey, which has occasionally received ratings that rival the numbers for some primetime programs on Tenâs main channel!
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Even further back when I was a kid, childrenâs television programming had the added benefit of allowing the networks to build a relationship with the young audience. I know I developed an emotional attachment to the Seven brand throughout the 1970s-'80s because of the array of appealing childrenâs television they broadcast in the morning and afternoon.
When I first came across this forum over a decade ago it was clearly evident others had the same attachment to the brand because Seven had nurtured that young audience during their formative years. That demographic wasnât as well serviced by the Nine network in those days. Sure, they met their quota requirements but they were doing the bare minimum and didnât invest in content that resonated with the young audience the way Seven did.
In 2020 the tables have turned. Nine is nurturing a relationship with the young audience through Go! while Seven is signalling a reluctance to engage with children by even scheduling a few appealing programs on a secondary channel in the morning. It is an extremely pathetic, short sighted move.
Any goodwill I developed towards the Seven brand in my younger years through their childrenâs shows and drama product has evaporated because of the contempt the F-wits running the network has for the audience these days. The shoddy scheduling, cheap-o copycat early evening shows and the endless pissing contest they engage in with Nine makes it clear they put the bottom line ahead of servicing their audience with entertaining content. Iâm not at all surprised theyâve taken this short sighted approach. It makes me wonder how many viewers they need to alienate before they realise they canât attract advertisers and make money if they donât engage the audience.
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In consolidated ratings it smashes all three networks. 
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For me it depends what you mean by childrenâs television. While ABC connects with children via dedicated programming, kids are still watching plenty of commercial TV because they are tuning in to the prime-time programs. Kids are watching just as much reality TV as their parents, tuning in to shows like Iâm A Celebrity, Lego Masters, Survivor and Masterchef. Perhaps the commercial networks feels that they can better build a relationship with children through these shows than afternoon programming.
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Isnât that the exact reasoning/justification theyâve used to argue that the childrenâs quota should be removed?
Not sure how recently this change was made (Iâm sure the previous graphics were still used when I last checked a couple of weeks ago), but it appears that Toasted TV on 10 Peach has got themselves some new graphics. Seems like theyâre trying to go for a younger audience going by this look:
Also, does the left hand not know what the right hand is doing at the childrenâs TV department at Network Ten? Because hereâs the latest Promo Endtag for Scope:
âŚwhich is now outdated, because Lee Constableâs final episode (aside from a few guest appearances to ease viewers during the transition) of Scope aired on April 19. Yesterdayâs episode was guest presented by regular Scope contributor Joel Gilmore, so I presume next weekâs will be the first for new host and Questacon alumni Isla Nakano:
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Unfortunately, it isnât just the scheduling and promotion for kids shows on commercial networks that is appalling, the quality (for the most part) leaves a lot to be desired. I hate saying this but most of the local children shows on commercial TV (with perhaps the exception of Itâs Academic, Saturday Disney/Kids WB when it was on, Totally Wild and Scope) have been lacking in quality and just isnât appealing enough to watch. This is not just something that is happening in Australia alone.
Even in countries like China, where I grew up with well-known, iconic cartoons and shows, networks have now become incredibly reliant on their reality franchises and dramas that all the children programming is now full of nothing but cheap, second-rate cartoons and programs full of product placement and largely cheaper than chips. Itâs sad to see what many in that country considered to be icons of their youth has now become a shadow of its former self. But sadly itâs becoming increasingly common for networks from different countries to place their focus on their general programming and sacrifice childrenâs programming for that.
Thatâs just my take on that.
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Looks like the relationship is shrinking, based on Mediaweekâs interview with head of content, production and development Adrian Swift.
It must be said that Nine has commissioned many acclaimed childrenâs shows in the past 30 years like The Girl from Tomorrow and Lockie Leonard.
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Donât remember that one but Lockie Leonard was huge as was Mortified. They are still run on on iView and ABC Me.
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